Wicked Games (Student/teacher)

Chapter 16

Hayden slowly poured the water into the glass, trying to focus her attention on anything but Reed who sat across from her on a barstool. The book he was reading rested on the counter. His hair had lengthened as well as his stubble. He wore a white jersey, as it was quite cold, which made his tanned skin appear golden brown. The morning sun reflected off of his silver watch when he turned the page. The cold bit at Hayden's bare feet while she stood there, savouring the sight of Reed concentrating on his novel. She inched closer to the counter and rested her elbows on the surface before clearing her throat. Reed peeked up at her. "So," she fiddled with a drop of water on the surface. "So?" Reed repeated. "I was wondering," she paused before looking down at her long nails. "What is it, love?" Reed asked. He called her "love" a lot lately but she grew accustomed to it. "I was just thinking that maybe a change in scenery would be nice since we still have time before classes begin," she confessed. "By change in scenery, you mean?" He gave her a questioning look. "I was thinking," she began, "that maybe we could go to my house. Not my little house on campus but my parent's house. They're going to be out of town for another month or so which means that we would have the place all to ourselves." Reed considered it for a moment. "And you're sure you want me to tag along?" he asked. Hayden was somewhat hurt by the question. She looked into his dark brown eyes, "Well you made it clear that you weren't letting me out of your sight and as exciting as our little routine is, it's gotten old. So what do you say? Would you like to spend the weekend at my house?" He looked into her pleading eyes and found it impossible to say no. "When shall we pack?" he retorted. A smile spread from ear to ear across her face.

Reed pulled into the driveway. Hayden's house was quite impressive. The double storey house was more than enough for three people. Large oak trees towered around the house. "Come on," she tugged at his arm. He made his way up the stairs of the front porch, eyeing the stone pillars and dangling lights. The numbers "372" were stretched across the white door in a sloping manner. She opened the door and stepped inside.

The walls were all beige and the floors were wooden with a staircase ascending to the second floor. The entire house represented a typical American home. Hayden gave him a quick tour before showing him to the guest room. "My room is right down the hall," she said, pointing to the door right at the end. After settling in, they made their way to the car to grab their remaining bags.

Hayden sat on her bed, staring at the dull beige wall in front of her. She thought of what might bring some colour or life to it when she remembered the portrait of the New York skyline. She clicked her fingers and made her way to her dad's garage, sorting through shelves of tools before she found a hammer and a jar of nails. Next, she took the ladder to her room. Hayden carefully placed the ladder beside the wall and climbed, hammer and jar in hand. Reed wanted to see what all the commotion was about when he saw Hayden on the ladder. "What are you doing?" he questioned, resting against the doorframe with his muscular arms folded across his chest. "I want to hang this picture on the wall," she gestured towards the large portrait resting on the ground, "but every time I start hammering the ladder shakes." Hayden was petrified of any height and so when the ladder shook, she immediately froze. "Here, let me help you," Reed offered. Hayden nodded. He could see she was scared she might fall and so he grabbed her by the waist and placed her on the ground. He held out his hand for the hammer and nails before making his way up the ladder. His white T-shirt lifted, revealing his toned waist which caused Hayden to bite her lip. She watched the muscles bulge in his arm as he hammered the nail into the wall. "Portrait?" he asked, snapping Hayden out of her lustful thoughts. "Right," she said, her cheeks turning a dark shade of pink. Once he hung the portrait in place, he descended the steps and eyed the wall, making sure the picture was straight. "Looks great, thanks," she said. Hayden picked the ladder up, but was stopped by Reed, "Allow me." Her eyes trailed his muscular back as he left her room. Steering clear of any romantic involvement was going to be challenging.

Reed eyed Hayden as she clobbered the potatoes. They were preparing a small meal for the two of them. Reed insisted on chopping the carrots because he didn't trust Hayden's coordination based on how she spilled some of the wine on the floor. She swayed her body to the soft music playing while she emptied the pot. Reed turned to face the carrots he was nearly done with when a phone rang. "It's mine," she said, making her way to the flashing screen. "Hello?" After a moment, she covered the end of the phone with her hand and whispered, "It's Alex," to Reed before heading to the lounge for privacy. Irritation gnawed at Reed when thoughts of what Alex may want filled his mind. He stared at the black cabinets in front of him, thinking of Hayden and Alex together. A muffled laugh sounding from the lounge causing Reed to grind his teeth. Alex McGregor was getting on his last nerve. When Hayden returned, Reed resumed his small task. "What did he want?" Reed asked, annoyance lacing his tone. "We just discussed a few of the plans for the wedding," she said, pouring milk into the mashed potatoes and stirring. "Wedding?" Reed blurted out. Hayden chuckled, "His stepbrother's wedding, calm down. He was just making sure I knew the right date and so on." Reed's heart rate slowed upon hearing this before he turned to the carrots. "Why are you going?" he asked with his back to her. "I'm his date," she replied, eyeing his black shirt which clung to his torso. Reed accidentally sliced his finger with the knife and moved away from the food. "Do you maybe have a tissue or something?" he asked, holding out his injured finger. When Hayden saw the dark red liquid running down his finger, she immediately searched the first aid kit for a plaster. Reed tried taking it from her but she pulled it away from his outstretched hand, "I can do it." Reed held out his hand for Hayden who gently wrapped the plaster around his finger. She held his hand as she did so, causing a tension to fill the room when their eyes locked. "Right," she said, walking over to the steaming pot on the opposite side, "all done."

Hayden mentally chastised herself while she laid the table. She could get used to the sight of Reed holding two plates in his hand with a white dishcloth over his broad shoulder. "Wine?" he asked. "Sure," she replied. Soon, the two were chatting away like old friends, possibly from the wine. After supper, Reed insisted on doing the dishes while Hayden read his book on the couch. She mentally thanked her parents for having bought such expensive furniture that felt like a thick cloud under her back.

Reed dried his hands and wiped the granite countertop before strolling to the lounge. He found Hayden lying fast asleep on the white sofa with his book resting on her chest. He turned off the lights before tending to Hayden. Without waking her, Reed placed the book on the coffee table and carefully picked Hayden up, where he then ascended the stairs. She barely moved when he placed her into bed and covered her. Reed lingered, watching her sleep peacefully. Her brown curls were sprawled over her pillows, tempting Reed to run his fingers through them. He quickly made his way to the garage where he punched the red boxing bag he discovered earlier until his knuckles went numb. Sweat dripped down his face. Alex was in his way. He needed to get rid of him fast.